“It’s incredible for this team,” he said. “It’s their first year and I can’t thank Richard Irvine, who’s put me here and had faith in me, and (team principal) Bert Taylor. They’ve put me here and I’d like to think I’m doing the business for them.

“The car was mega. I was a bit too soft early on and let people go by. But I thought ‘I’m going to dig in here’ and get the podium. I gave myself a strong talking to after probably the worst start of my life. It was rubbish. If I had made the start I might have won it!

“There’s been a lot of investment in the team but we’re learning every time we go out, about the car and we’re hitting the sweet-spot just now. It’s a shame the season is about to end but we’re going to come back strong next year, there’s no two ways about it.”

It rounded off a brilliant weekend for Newsham personally and BTC Norlin. The Norscott Vending managing director came seventh in race one and was bumped up to eighth in race two, after Ash Sutton was sent to the back of the grid for his third penalty of the season.